New American Standard Bible 1995
1 Samuel 29:4
4But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return 1to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, 2or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of 3these men?
1 Samuel 29:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?
- New International Version (NIV)But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, “Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these men?
Context of 1 Samuel 29:4
2And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. 3Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?” But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men? 5Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” 6Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords.
Read all of 1 Samuel 291 Samuel 29:4 word by word
וַיִּקְצְפ֨וּ עָלָ֜יו שָׂרֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים הָשֵׁ֣ב אֶת־הָאִ֗ישׁ וְיָשֹׁב֙ אֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקַדְתּ֣וֹ שָׁ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יֵרֵ֤ד עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ לְשָׂטָ֖ן בַּמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וּבַמֶּ֗ה יִתְרַצֶּ֥ה זֶה֙ אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֲל֕וֹא בְּרָאשֵׁ֖י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵֽם׃Read the interlinear
- But the commandersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
- were angryקָצַףqâtsaph · be angryH7107
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to him, “Make the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- goשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- backשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to his placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- whereאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- whereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
- you have assignedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
- him, and do not let him goיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- orלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- he may becomeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- an adversaryשָׂטָןώâţân · SatanH7854
- to us. For with whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- could thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- makeרָצָהrâtsâh · to acceptH7521
- to his lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- with the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 29:4
- 1 Samuel 14:21Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
- 1 Chronicles 12:19From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”
- Luke 16:8And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 29:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The princes of the Philistines were wroth - It is strange that they had not yet heard of David's destruction of a village of the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:9. Had they heard of this, they would have seen much more cause for suspicion.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4with the heads of our men: The commanders' fears were justified (compare 1 Samuel 17:51; 18:27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him--It must be considered a happy circumstance in the overruling providence of God to rescue David out of the dangerous dilemma in which he was now placed. But David is not free from censure in his professions to Achish (1Sa 29:8), to do what he probably had not the smallest purpose of doing--of fighting with Achish against his enemies. It is just an instance of the unhappy consequences into which a false…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 29:4
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 1 Samuel 29:4 1 Sam 27:6 ↩
- 2. 1 Samuel 29:4 1 Sam 14:21 ↩
- 3. 1 Samuel 29:4 Lit those ↩
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries